‘Love Island USA’ is back for Season 9 as host Ariana Madix prepares to return to Peacock

Ariana Madix will return as host after the latest season delivered a major streaming milestone for Peacock

The Love Island USA villa is officially staying open. Peacock has renewed the popular dating reality series for Season 9, with Ariana Madix confirmed to return as host following another successful run for the franchise.

The renewal will be extending the series' run on Peacock after a strong eighth season. Madix has become closely associated with the American edition since taking over hosting duties, and her return gives the upcoming season a familiar face as the franchise continues to grow.

The Season 8 finale crowned Trinity Celeste Tatum and Bryce Alakai Dettloff as the winners. The pair walked away with the show's $100,000 grand prize after spending the summer navigating relationships, recouplings and eliminations inside the villa.

Season 8 also delivered a significant audience boost for Peacock. According to figures released by the streamer and reported by Deadline, the season's premiere generated more than 19 billion minutes viewed. Peacock also said that 35% of the show's audience during the season consisted of viewers who were new to the series.

Those figures help explain why the streamer has continued investing in the Love Island brand. The franchise now extends well beyond the flagship American series, with multiple spin offs keeping the format active throughout the year.

Madix's return also follows an important milestone in her career with the show. She recently received her first Emmy nomination for her work as host of Love Island USA. The nomination recognised her growing presence in reality television after she became the face of the Peacock series.

The wider franchise is also moving forward. Love Island Games has been renewed for a third season, with Madix returning as host. The spin off is scheduled for Fall 2027. Meanwhile, Love Island Beyond the Villa, which follows former Islanders after their time in the villa and explores their lives following the show, has also received a third season renewal.

For Peacock, the continued expansion reflects the strength of the Love Island format among streaming audiences. The series has developed a particularly active fan base, with each season generating conversations around couples, breakups, bombshell arrivals and dramatic recouplings.

The announcement of Season 9 arrives shortly before the Season 8 reunion. Madix and Andy Cohen are set to host the reunion, which will bring the Islanders back together to revisit the major moments from the season. The special is scheduled to stream on Peacock on August 31 at 9pm ET and 6pm PT.

Season 9 will again be produced by ITV America in association with Lifted Entertainment and Motion Entertainment, a WPP Media Company, with distribution handled by ITV Studios. Peacock has yet to announce the Season 9 cast, premiere date or filming details.